T 
 
 DC 
 
Copyright N° 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 
 
THIS EDITION IS LIMITED TO FIVE 
 HUNDRED COPIES PRINTED FROM 
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 THIS COPY IS NO 
 
THE RETURN 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN 
 
 MALMESBURY 
 
 WRIGHT 
 
 PAUL ELDER AND 
 
 COMPANY • PUBLISHERS 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO 
 
5c ^03 
 .3 
 
 COPYRIGHT,i9i4 
 
 BY PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 DEC 23 1914 
 
 '--^ '-'■■ '■- V .> .i .,_, i X 
 "1^ i 
 

 
 
 A leader come si Let loud huzzas 
 Burst from the extended line. 
 
THE RETURN 
 
I SEE the great Dome of 
 the Invalides and un- 
 der it the beautiful sar- 
 cophagus at which all men 
 gaze in wonder and hu- 
 mility; but the massive sy- 
 enite covering has moved 
 aside, the casket within is 
 open, it is empty, 
 
 I see a little man in a 
 gray cloak at the entrance 
 to the office of the Presi- 
 dent and I hear him de- 
 mand admittance. 
 
 [3] 
 
He passes in; the Presi- 
 dent asks his wish. 
 
 "I wish to save France." 
 
 "And who are you, to 
 save France?" 
 
 "I am myself. Once I 
 served the French people, 
 as soldier, as Consul, as 
 their Emperor." 
 
 "And how may I know 
 you are he of whom you 
 speak?" 
 
 "Mr. President, look at 
 me! 
 
 [4] 
 
 I" 
 
His voice seemed the 
 voice of God and godlike 
 power shone from his eyes. 
 The President knelt. 
 
 "Sire!" 
 
 "Call me not ^sire'. I 
 have learned how false my 
 dream of empire. Not 
 again will I be Emperor." 
 
 "What title will you 
 have?" 
 
 "Only the title given me 
 by my soldiers on the field 
 of victory, my dearest, 
 
 [S] 
 
proudest name, the ^Little 
 Corporal'." 
 
 "And how will you save 
 France?" 
 
 "At the head of her 
 
 armies," 
 
 "And will armies obey a 
 corporal?" 
 
 "You shall see. I know 
 what has been done, what 
 not done,and that without 
 me France will be crushed, 
 and soon. Write." 
 
 And the President wrote: 
 
 [6] 
 
"Soldiers fighting for 
 France, I am sending as 
 your chief the Little Cor- 
 poral — he will have no 
 other name — who comes 
 in this dark hour to save 
 France. Soldiers, marvel 
 not but obey." 
 
 I see a train moving as 
 a flame of light, bearing 
 the Little Corporal to the 
 hard pressed armies. 
 I hear his commands: 
 
 "General JofFre, dired 
 
 [7] 
 
the defense of Paris. 
 
 "General Pau, you re- 
 mind me of Stengel; but 
 draw your troops from 
 Alsace, secure the border 
 and join General French. 
 
 "General French, you 
 fight as Wellington fought 
 me. You have done well. 
 Continue. 
 
 "Soldiers, I wear the 
 sword of Austerlitz. Be- 
 hold it, the Sword of Vic- 
 tory!" 
 
 [8] 
 
I hear as one voice, 
 "Live the Little Corpo- 
 ral", a shout that seems to 
 reach the stars, so great 
 the German pauses, fear- 
 ing new armies. 
 
 Well may you listen, 
 well may you pause, proud 
 and boastful man; for now 
 the men you fight are led 
 by the Master of Victory. 
 
 I watch while new dis- 
 positions are made, as the 
 Little Corporal direfts. 
 
 [9] 
 
I hear in all lands from 
 all free men a joyous 
 cry, "The Little Corporal 
 fights for France." 
 
 I see the coming of 
 armies — from the cold 
 northland, from burning 
 Asian plains, from the 
 sands of Africa, and from 
 that Island Realm whose 
 peoples all are free. 
 
 The Little Corporal 
 disposes all. 
 
 I see long days of blood 
 
 [lO] 
 
and death and the Little 
 Corporal has the victory. 
 
 Day follows day, and 
 the German horde rolls 
 back, northward, north- 
 ward, through Amiens, 
 past Lille, over the border, 
 pursued ever by the Little 
 Corporal. 
 
 At fated Mons and 
 Charleroi again through 
 days and nights men fight 
 and die, these for Free- 
 dom, those for Empire. 
 
 [II] 
 
I see the German ranks 
 waver, break and fly. 
 
 Their envoy comes, 
 asking peace* The Little 
 Corporal answers, "Tell 
 your false War Lord I 
 will make peace at Berlin, 
 a peace that will last." And 
 his armies cry their bat- 
 tle word, "On to Berlin." 
 
 Retreat, pursuit, con- 
 tinue. 
 
 At Waterloo the roll- 
 ing mists take fearsome 
 [la] 
 
shapes, of men long dead, 
 the French who fought 
 there, the Guard in serried 
 rank, Cambronne, the 
 horsemen led by Ney, the 
 Emperor. 
 
 No rock-like Wellesley 
 can stay these, no Bluch- 
 er's aid avail. In panic 
 fright the German flies 
 this awesome field. 
 
 At last Berlin. From 
 the Imperial Throne the 
 Little Corporal speaks: 
 
"No more the Kaiser 
 wears a crown. The people 
 rule. People of Germany, 
 Soldiers of England, Sol- 
 diers of France, my work 
 is done. Farewell." 
 
 I see again the Dome 
 of the Invalides and the 
 Great Tomb beneath. All 
 is in place where he whom 
 France so loved, who so 
 loved France, lies in his 
 quiet sleep- 
 
 San Francisco 
 August 25, 1914 
 
C..-s;^--,r'.. -r -*K"- 
 
HERE ENDS THE RETURN AS WRIT- 
 TEN BYJOHNMALMESBURY WRIGHT 
 AND PUBLISHED BY PAUL ELDER AND 
 COMPANY UNDER THE DIRECTION 
 OF JOHN BERNHARDT SWART AT 
 THE PUBLISHER'S TOMOYE PRESS, IN 
 SAN FRANCISCO, NINETEEN HUNDRED 
 AND FOURTEEN 
 
.VM,S.';i,S,J:.,Of; CONGRESS 
 
 019 644 527 4